Musical toy



May 1, 1923. 1,453,968-

W. BARTHOLOMAE MUSICAL TOY Filed May 4-, 1922 INVENTORfirafiawfiozoiizae A TTOR/VEYS Patented May 1, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BABTHOLOMAE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO BAR ZIM TOY MANU-FACTURIN'G CO. INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MUSICAL TOY.

Application filed May 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAI BARTHOLO- MAE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, inthe county and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedMusical Toy, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to musical toys and particularly to a toy whichwill not only produce a sound but which may producemusical soundscapable of being controlled within certain limits.

The object of the invention is to provide a sounding device which may beeasily operated and which will give sounds substantially according tothe operation thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy which will not onlyproduce a loud sound but will produce soft or loud musical sounds in thedesired sequence ac, cording to the operators actuation of certain partsgf the device.

A further object, more specifically, 18 to provide a musical devicewhich may be manipulated by the thumb or finger of the operator tochange the tone of the sound.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure l'is a perspective view of a musicaldevice disclosing an embodiment of the invention, the same being shownin use.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through Figure 3 approximately on line 2-2.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 with part ofthe handle broken off and also broken away.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through Figure 3 on line 4-4.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing amodifiedconstruction of'the invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through Figure 5 on line 66.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view throu h Figure 6 on line 7-7.

Re errin to the accompanying drawing by numera s, 1 indicates a handleand 2 a supporting bar, said handle being adapted to be grasped bythe-hand of the operator as shown in Figure 1 and shaken. Asshown inFigure 1, .the handle and associated parts are moved in a vertical planeduring the shaking operation but it 1s, of course, cvident that thehandle and other parts may be turned to a horizontal position or to any1922. Serial No. 558,459.

other position and shaken in any desired plane while the thumb of theoperator flexes the sounding plate 3 secured to the support 2.

When the construction shown in Figures 1 to 3 is used, the handle 1 andsupport 2 are made from wood while the construction shown in Figure 5 ismade of metal with the exception of the striking balls 4 which arepreferably made from wood though they may be made from any desiredmaterial. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the sounding plate 3 tapers fromone end to the other and at the large end is provided with a curvedsection 5 which is usually a little more than a half circle. Suitablescrews or other fastening means 6 extend through the extreme end of theplate 3 into the support 2 whereby the plate engages the support only atthe end. This curved or substantially tubular section 3 permits of aproper vibration of the metal to produce a musical sound when the balls4 strike the plate 3.

lVhen the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2 and the handle 1is shaken for causing the balls 4 to strike the plate 3, a sound will beproduced which will be more or less musical. As the small end of theplate 3 is flexed as shown in Figure 1, namely, to bring the curvedsection 5 near its support. the sound produced by the striking of theballs 4 will gradually ascend the scale so that when the curved section4 is almost contacting with the support 2 the sound will be very high.The balls 4 are connected in any suitable manner to the springsupporting members 7, said spring supporting members if desired beingeither separate or one piece as shown in the drawing. When the are madeof onepieee, the end is preferab y fittedinto the notch 8 and then theparts are connected together and against the plate 3 by a suitable tyingmem-. ber or staple 9. This will allow the spring supporting members 7to freely flex and thereby cause the balls 4 to strike plate 3 when theplate, handle 1 and associated parts are shaken or moved back and forthquickly in a plane parallel to the plane passing through both of theballs.

The construction shown in Figures 5 to 7 is the same as far as the plate3 is concerned, the balls 4 and the member 7. The difference resides inthe way the plate 3 in Cit secured to a support. In this form of theinvention the support really consists of the section 10 of the handle 1which handle is preferably made from metal and bent at the lower end forforming a grip 11. The han-' same into the notches 18 and 14. The han-'dle, or rather the support 10, extends through a suitable aperture inthe rounded section 5, said support being threaded for receiving aclamping nut 16. When the clamping nut 16 is tightened, it will draw theears 12 into the notches 13 and 14 as far as possible as indicated inFigure 5 so that there will be no loose motion. Though the nuts 16secure the parts together in this manner, a flexing or vibration of thesection 5 will be permitted to a certain extent when the plate 3 isflexed by the thumb or finger of the operator and also when the balls 4strike the plate.

lVhat I claim is 1. A vibratory sounding device, comprising a handsupport, a sounding and tone changing member carried at one end by thesupport and presenting one free end capable of being flexed by theoperator, and means associated with the device for striking the soundingmember by vibratory movements of the device before and during theflexing action.

2. In a musical toy of the character described, a support provided witha handle adapted to be grasped by the operator, a flexible soundingmember secured to said support and extending to a position to be engagedand flexed by the hand engaging the handle, and a pair of membersoperatively associated with the sounding member adapted to strike saidflexible sounding member as the handle, support and sounding member aremoved back and forth.

In a musical device of the character described, a support, a pair ofstriking members, and a sounding member secured to said support in sucha position as to be struck by said striking members when operated, saidsounding member being adapted to be manually flexed while the strikingmembers are striking the same, said flexing member being of a materialgiving forth a musical sound when struck and which will change the toneby flexing.

4. In a musical device ofthe character described, a support, a soundingmember having a substantially semi-tubular section merging into asubstantially flat section, said support being connected with saidsemitubular section, said support being formed with a handle adapted tobe grasped by an operator and said flat section being arranged inrelation to the handle so that the operator grasping the handle may flexthe flat section with his thumb or finger, and vibrating strikingmembers carried by said flat section adapted to strike the flat sectionas it is quickly moved back and forth when in its flat condition orduring the time that it is flexed by the operator.

In a musical device of the character described, 21 flexible soundingmember having -a curve at one end forming a substantially semi-tubularstructure, a handle member connected with said tubular structure andextending substantially parallel to the sounding member whereby anoperator grasping the handle may flex the sounding member. a pair offlexible members connected with said sounding member near one end andextending toward the opposite end, and a striking member carried by eachof said flexible members.

6. In a musical member of the character described, a flat flexiblesounding plate having one end coiled, a supporting structure connectedwith said coil, and vibrating members carried by the opposite end ofsaid plate to the coil, said vibrating members havin striking membersadapted to strike the p ate when the plate is moved quickly back andforth.

7. In a musical device of the character described, a substantially fiatplate having a coiled end, a support acting as a, handle extendingthrough said coiled end, means for clamping the support to the coiledend, a pair of flexible members connected with the opposite end of saidplate to the coiled end, and a striking member secured to each of saidflexible members adapted to strike said plate.

8. In a musical device of the character described, a sounding flexibleplate havin a coiled end, said coiled end having aligneapertures-arranged therein, one of said apertures having notchesextending therefrom, a. supporting handle provided with ears, saidhandle extending through said apertures and said ears being positionedin said notches, means for clamping said handle to said coiled end,vibrating flexible members secured to the end of said plate opposite thecoiled end and extending toward the coiled end, and a striking membersecured to each of said vibrating members.

9. A device including a support, a sounding member fixed at one end tothe sup ort adapted to be flexed at the opposite end by the hand of theoperator for changin the tone, and means associated with the evice forstriking said sounding member during the flexing action.

10. A sounding instrument, comprising a. support, a sounding membercarried at one end by the support and capable of being flexed b theoperator by pressure on one end, an strikingmeans associated with theinstrument for strikin the sounding member before and during t e flexinaction, said flexing causing the tone of t e sounding member to changewhereby a series of tones may be produced by said striking means.

11. In a sounding device of the character described, a substantiallyflat plate having a coiled end, a support acting as a handle extendingfrom said coiled end, means for clamping the support to the coiled end,a pair of flexible members positioned adjacent said flat plate, andstriking members carried by the flexible members, said striking membersbeing positioned to strike said plate as the device is moved back andforth.

12. A sounding device, comprising a support, a fiat sounding plateformed substan'- tially wedge-shaped, said plate being connected to thesupport and capable of being flexed, and means associated with thedevice for striking the plate before and during the flexing actionwhereby different tones may be secured from the plate.

13. In a sounding device of the character described, a support, asounding member having an ofl'set end secured to said support, saidsupport being formed with a handle adapted to be grasped by an operator,said sounding member being arranged in relation to the handle so thatthe operator grasping the handle may engage the free end of thesounding-member for flexing the same with the thumb or finger, andvibrating striking members arranged near the sounding member and adaptedto strike said sounding member as the sounding member moves back andforth.

14. In a soundin device of the character described, a sounding memberflexible for the purpose of varying its tone formed substantiallywedge-shaped with a finger or thumb engaging end, and with an oifsetportion at the opposite end for receiving a Support.

15. In a sounding device of the character described, a support, asounding member provided witha section adapted to be secured to thesupport, a thumb engaging section, and a sounding section, said soundingsection being adapted to be flexed by a move-- ment of the thumbengaging section, and means carried by the thumb engaging sec-- tion forstriking the sounding section before and during the flexing action.

WILLIAM BARTHOLOMAE.

